Vijayawada ( AsiaNews) - "God rejoices in your life of commitment, because through our consecration the religious belong only to the Lord and carry out His work. We are a visible sign of God's presence in the world". With these words, Fr. Benny SVD, director of the Divine Word Centre Muttangi (Andhra Pradesh) spoke to 150 priests, nuns and religious, on the World Day for Consecrated Life, February 2.
The Mass was held in Vijayawada at
Nirmala High School. The
priest, a member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), thanked those present
for having followed their vocation .
In his homily, Fr. Benny
cited the Second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy: "Not all the dishes in a large house are made of
gold and silver; some are made of wood or earthenware: the former are held in
honour, the latter held cheap. If someone holds himself aloof from these faults
I speak of, he will be a vessel held in honour, dedicated and fit for the
Master, ready for any good work" (2 Timothy 2:20,21) .
"Every human being - said the priest - has
three powerful impulses that mark
one's human personality: power of sexual gratification, desire of riches and
attraction to have control over others through human power. However, the
religious are invited to carry on the warfare on the flesh not with mere human
means but with divine power which will enable the committed person to overcome
all the attractions of the world through the power of the Holy Spirit who will
satisfy every desire of the flesh through divine initiative"
During the celebration, priests and sisters made a candle light procession,
singing songs and hymns. At the end of the Mass, everyone present dined
together.
*Missionary of the Immaculate Conception, a
congregation of women associated with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign
Missions (PIME)